Filters
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single shocking figure demonstrates why air quality is such a pressing issue for society: air pollution is responsible for the early death of at least 40,000 people in the UK each year – equivalent to wiping out the populace of a town the size of Ramsgate every 12 months. Poor air quality is the greatest environmental risk to public health in the UK, causing cardiac, respiratory and other diseases such as cancer, asthma, stroke, heart disease, diabetes, obesity and physical changes linked to dementia. A landmark report on air quality (or lack of it) in the UK was published by the Royal College of Physicians and the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health in 2016. Called Every Breath we Take: The Lifelong Impact of Air Pollution, it made this critical point: “Vulnerable people are prisoners of air pollution, having to stay indoors and limit their activity when pollution levels are high. “This is not only unjust; it carries a cost to these individuals and the community from missed work and school, from more health problems due to lack of exercise, and from social isolation. “Taking action will reduce pain, suffering and demands on the NHS, while getting people back to work, learning, and an active life. The value of these benefits far exceeds the cost of reducing emissions.” ISO 16890 defines testing procedures and a
Breathe easy A
A new standard – ISO 16890 – represents the first opportunity for global harmonisation in testing procedures and a classification system for air filters used in ventilation equipment. But what are its implications for building services contractors? Mark Taylor, sales director at Camfil reports
standard has a global application. Until now, there was no such standard. In the Americas, ASHRAE standard 52.2 dominated, in Europe EN779 was dominant and in Asia and the Middle East both standards were used side by side. ISO 16890 will eliminate confusion and prevent
invalid attempts to cross-reference results from the different existing test methods. There are important differences between the ISO 16890 standard and the two existing standards. In several aspects, the new test procedures are more demanding than the existing standards. This will lead to higher filter performance, improved indoor air quality and greater protection of human health. The new test procedures are also more closely
related to real-world filter performance. And the classification system is related to filter performance against three different particle sizes (PM1, PM2.5 and PM10 – see the box: ‘Particulate matter explained’). Importantly, the smallest particle fraction of the
three, so called PM1, best represents the very fine particles that are known to be the most harmful to human health.
classification system for air filters used in general ventilation equipment. It is highly significant that this
Man-made PM is typically produced in areas of high population density in city centres. A big contribution to the concentration of ultrafine airborne particles (PM1) comes from diesel vehicle exhaust fumes.
The human body has natural defences against PM EXPLAINED
Particulate matter (PM) affects more people than any other pollutant. PM consists of a complex mixture of solid and liquid particles of organic and inorganic substances suspended in the air. Its major components are sulphate, nitrates, ammonia, sodium chloride, black carbon, mineral dust and water. • PM10 is the fraction of all airborne particles =/< 10 microns (µm) in size. • PM2.5 is the fraction of all airborne particles =/< 2.5µm in size. • PM1 is the fraction of all airborne particles =/< 1µm in size (1µm = 1/1000th of a millimetre).
larger airborne particles above 2.5µm. However, we have no such barriers against the most dangerous PM1 particles of <1µm. These can reach the alveoli in the lungs where they can pass into the bloodstream and reach the critical organs such as the heart, brain, liver and endocrine system. In 2016, researchers in the UK reported a possible link between metallic PM1 particles, possibly from diesel cars, that have been found in the human brain to the onset of Alzheimer’s disease.
FILTER FACTS & FIGURES
• Filters designated PM1 are the best-performing filters, PM2.5 are intermediate and PM10 are the lowest efficiency. • PM1 is a mass measurement of airborne particle diameters of 1µm and below. Particles less than 10µm are invisible to the human eye unaided. • As a result of the growing awareness of air pollution, 2018 will witness at least 70 conferences throughout the world on ecosystems, the environment and sustainable development in the coming year. • It is possible to achieve a 78% reduction in particle penetration with a well-sealed building envelope and effective ventilation and filtration of incoming supply air. • The annual cost of health problems and business impacts resulting from air pollution in the UK is 20 billion. • Five million people in the UK are currently receiving treatment for asthma.
• Humans with a sedentary lifestyle typically breathe 15kg of air each day. In highly polluted areas we breathe more than 25 million particles with each breath.
July 2018
www.heatingandventilating.net
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